Steel car



DQC. 15, 1931. 'H, E MUCHNlVC 1,836,723

STEEL CAR Filed May 26', 1930 SheeTls-Sheet l i l e 20 Q14/ 20 f7 es. M mr ITnIen or l Dec. 1s, 1931. H E, MUCHNK; 1,836,723

STEEL CAR Filed May 2e, 1930 4 Sheets-sheet 2 Dec. l5, 1931. H. E. MUcHNl STEEL GARv Filed May 26, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. l5, 1931. H. E. MucHNlc STEEL CAR Filed May 2e 4 sheets-sheef 4 Patented Dec..v 15, 193i UNITED STATES HENRY E. MUCHNIC, F .ATCHSOlL KANSAS STEEL CAR Application filed May 26,

My invention relates to all steel railroad cars comprising an integrally formed or united' car undertrame and steelI superstructure composed ot' integrally formed and united sections which are alsoint-egrally associated with the underlfran'ie, thereby providing an all steel structure of great strength and rigidity.

The objects and advantages of my invention will all be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an inverted plan View of a portion or a car embodying one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional vieW taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 11 Figure 3 is aside elevation ont the car portion shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a portion of a car illustrating a modified form ot the car bod Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 as viewed by the arrows..

Figure 8 is a similar detail sectional View illustrating another modified form.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a portion ot a car showing another modified form.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the oiset line 10-10 of Figure 9, as viewed by the arrows.

My invention involves the construction of an all steel railroad car wherein the undertrame and the superstructure or car body are intended to be integrally secured together. 'llhe drawings illustrate various forms oi the superstructure or body construction, all ot which, however, are intended to be integrally secured to my improved underrame, a portion of Which is shown in inverted plan in Figure l.

rlhe undertrame is preferably intended to Vbe cast integrally throughout, although it may be cast in uniform sections and the re- 1930. serial No. 455,481.

spective sections then properly Welded or integrally riveted together into an integral unit.

The underframe, as illustrated in Figure 1, consists of an integral casting comprising the side sills 15, (onlya portion being shown) united at-both ends with, the end sills, only one of which is shown at 16. lThe juncture between the side sills and the end sills, for the purpose of greater strength, are preferably made arcuate as shown at 17 in Figure 1. The frame at the juncture between the side and end sills is shown formed integral with the diagonally disposed brace members 18, 18, whose inner ends are integrally united With the body bolster 19 intermediate of its ends; While the ends of the body bolster 19 are integrally united with the side sills 15, 15, as shown.

lt Will, of course, be understood that the opposite end or portion of the car undertrame (not shown) is of similar construction or formation.

At suitable points throughout its length, the car underframe is provided with a suitn able number of cross members 20, which, like the body bolster, are also formed integral With the side sills 15. The underlz'raine also involves the center sill members 21, 21 formed integral with the end sills, the body holsters and the cross members; the

center sill members being also formed inte? gral with the diagonal brace members 18, and also with each other by the horizontal reenforcing web portions or danges 22 at points ivhere the center sill members unite with the various elements previously' mentioned and as shown in Figure 1.

'lhe center sills at the ends, as Well as the end sills, are 'formed integral with the striking blocks or castings 28 (only one being shown in Figure 1). The center sills at the ends are also formed to provide draft -ear receiving) pockets as shown at 24,; t ese pockets eing formed so that the draft gear or rigging can be inserted from the bottom of the frame.

rlhe various portions of the frame, it will be understood and as shown in the drawings, comprise Vertically disposed portions provided at top and bottom with laterally disposed web or iiange portions; with the web vor liange portions of the body bolster I formed by this inset portion in the upst-anding flange.

The superstructure or body of the car consists of a multiple of formed steel sheets of proper dimensions given a desirable shape and constituting sides and roof sections; the respective sections being welded together into an integral structure.

The body as illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 consists of a suitable number of steel sheets 27 of dimensions enabling convenient manipulation and of length which permits each sheet to be bent into shape to ormroof and side wall portions. That is to say, each section or sheet in the disclosure madein Figures2 to 4 consists of a roof portion and two side wall portions.

In order to rigidity or strengthen the re-y spective sections 27, and at the same time compensate for expansion and contraction,

. in the exempliication shown in Figures 2 to 4, each section 27 is corrugated so as to have the corrugations extend vertically of the sides and transversely of the roof. The corrugations terminate short of the lower ends of each section, namely at the bottoms of the side portions, in order that the plain ends of each section may be placed lush with the inset upper portion of the upstanding flange 25 of the side sills 15 of the underframe, as shown in Figure 4, and be integrally secured or welded to the underframe.

In the form o the invention disclosed `in Figures 2 to 4, the longitudinal sides or edges of the respective sections 27, are anged or turned inwardly as shown at 28 in Figure 5; the ianges 28 of adjacent sections being brought into face to face relation and welded together. It will be understood that flanges 28 extend continuously throughout the sides and roof-portions of each sheet or section 27. l

The respective roof and side wall forming sections 27 are preferably of uniform dimensions and of number in keeping with the length of the car; the sections bein all united as described and integrally secure or welded to the underframe side sills. l

Each end of the car preferably consists of a single steel sheet or section 29 which, for strength, is preferably shown provided with transversely disposed rigidifying portions or corrugations 30, which, however, terminate short of the sides of the end wall section in order that the side marginal portions of the end wall section may be curved toward the ybody sections 27, as shown at 31, Figure 3.

The curvature of the side marginal portions 31 of the end wall are made in keeping with the arcuate portions 17 of the underframe. These arcuate portions or sides 3l at the bottom, as Well as the bottom of the main end wall portion, are brought up flush against the inset portion 26 of the upstanding fiange 25 of the underframe and are welded or integrally secured thereto.

The marginal edges of the end wall in the structure shown in Figures 2 to 4 may also be bent inwardly to provide an inturned flange like flanges 28 so as to permit the end wall flange to be welded or integrally secured to the adjacent side wall and roof section 27.

As shown in Figures 2 `and 3, the end walls or sections 29 and the roof portions of the end side sections 27 are united by means of an arcuate top end section 32 consisting of a continuous bowed section extending from side to side of the car, with ends 33 of the top end sections 32 bowed inwardly and Welded to the flanges -28 of the sections 27 as well as to the upper ends of the bowed portions 3l of the end walls 29. These top end sections 32 are also welded to the roof portions of the sections 27 and to the upper ends of the end wall sections 29.

With my invention as shown and described, it is apparent that an all steel car is l,

provided wherein the various body forming sections are integrally secured together and the body in turn integrally secured to the underframe which, in turn, comprises an integrally formed structure; while the arched or arcuate formations of the corner portions of the underframe and of the body tend toward greater strength in the integral structure.

In Figures 6 and 7, I show a modified form consisting of separate side wall sections 34, separate roof sections 35 which are welded or integrally secured together. The side wall sections 34 are'here shown provided with what may be termed diamond shaped rigidifying portions or surfaces which terminate short of the upper and lower ends of the side sections, in order that the bottom ends may be flat and be welded or otherwise integrally secured to the upstanding flange 25 of the underframe.

The upper ends are arranged in lapping relation with the flat ends of the roof sections 35 and these ends are integrally secured together.

The car structure of Figure 6 also involves epd wall sections 36 and upper curved top sections 37, both of which are similar in construction to the end wall section 29 and the top curved section 32 of Athe previously ded lll@ titi

Ascribed construction and these sections are secured to the respective side and roof sections and the end wall section is also secured to the underframe as heretofore described.

In the structure shown in Figure 6, the respective body sections are secured together through the medium of angular bars or members T-shape in cross-section, as shown at 38 in Figure 7. These bars or members 38 are bowed longitudinally to the shape of the car body with the heads of the T-shape bars arranged to the outer side of the car body in lapping relation with the longitudinal margins of the adjacent side wall and roof sections which abut against the inwardly disposed legs ofthe members 38; the body sections being then welded or otherwise integrally secured to the bars or members 38 to form an integral structure.

Instead of providing the sheet steel sections with the corrugations or diamond shaped 'formations which compensate for contraction and expansion, the side wall sections may be dished or bowed, as shown at 39 in Figure 8, with the marginal longitudinal edges 40 bent inwardly to provide inwardly disposed iianges similar to flanges 28 in Figure 5. U

j These flanges 40 of the adjacent sections are brought into juxtaposition and welded or otherwise integrally secured together. l

In Figures 9 and l0, I show a further modliied form of the invention, wherein the side wall portions 41 and the roof portions 42 consists of separate sections like in Figure 6, except that the respective side wall and roof sections are butt welded or integrally secured together at their ends `while the longitudinal edges are formed and secured together 1n a manner similar to the sections 27 in Figures 2 to 4 and as shown in detail in Figure 5, with the ianges 28 in lapping relation.

The car, in this construction, also has end walls 43 and top radial or curved sections 44 which may be similar to those previously described and all secured together and to the adjacent side wall sections and roof sections as heretofore stated.

It is apparent that b arching the roof sections and providing t e radial or curved portions, at the sides and ends of the car body and by also curving the end wall side portions in keeping with the radial or arcuate corner portions of the underframe, a car unit of great strength is provided.

It is, of course, understood that this car is provided with the usual side doors-a portion whereof is shown at 45, slidingly supported in place in any suitable manner, as for example by the roller carrying hangers 46, whose rollers ride on the usual track rails; and the car interior is to be provided with a suitable lfloor as at 47.

the car body are composed of integrally united elements and the underframe and car body also integrally united into a rigid structure; and these forms have been described in terms employed merely as terms of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications may be made without,

tinuously 'from the bottom of one side to the bottom of the other side and across the roof with one leg of the bar disposed between the edges of the adjacent sheet while the other legs of the bar lap the marginal edges of the adjacent sheets, the sheets and bars being integrally secured together.

2. In acar, abodycomposed of a plurality of adjacently placed steel sections disposed transversely of the body to constitute a roof and two side wall portions, all of said portions having corrugations whose ends terminate short of the edges ofsaid portions to provide at marginal edges for said sections and juncture providing bars of T-shape cross-section extending continuously from side to side and across the roof with one leg disposed inwardly between adjacent sections to provide a rigidifying rib while the other legs lap the outer marginal edges of the adjacent sections to which the bars are integrally secured. j

HENRY E. MUCHNIC.

I have shown various vforms of my im- 

